The One Thing That Will Help You Nail Any Job Interview

Signed, sealed, delivered.

In the age of the 140 character limit on Twitter and thumb tap acronyms and abbreviations (not to mention emojis) via text message, the thank you note has become somewhat of a lost art. When was the last time you busted out a ball point pen and paper card — or let’s be honest, even owned a set of cards — to acknowledge a thoughtful gift or more importantly, follow-up on that all-important job or internship interview? Hopefully you at least sent a note of gratitude to your interviewer via email.

To see how important this follow up act can be we talked with professionals across four different industries, from fashion to finance. They each have their own take on a physical note, but all agree on one thing — a thank you note, either handwritten and mailed via USPS or sent to someone's inbox, can only help you get hired. Here, they advise on what you should include and tell you what to leave out.

Employers Notice When You Don't Send a Thank You NoteBrannon Skillern, head of talent management at the start up stock trading platform, IEX Trading of the bestselling Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt fame, rarely receives a post-interview thank you note. “Probably one out of every seven or eight candidates,” she says as she takes count. Heidi Zee, CEO and managing partner of business and technology consulting firm Frontera Consulting, isn’t holding her breath to receive a thank you, but she does notice. “Although I don't expect one — meaning, I don't wait for one to come — it's ultimately very important because if I don't receive one, I count it against [job candidates],” she says. “I know that sounds unfair, but that's how it plays out.”

Thank you notes are especially important when you’re looking for your first job or internship.If you’re getting creative with your formatting to fill resume space or haven’t optimized your LinkedIn account yet, you’ll need to take every opportunity available to stand out amongst your fellow job applicants. “When you are starting out, you don't have a lot of experience to bring to the table,” says Heidi, who oversees a staff of consultants that work directly with the all-important clients. “So the only things I can measure you on are the basics, which includes common courtesy, manners, and politeness, which in my professional services lens translates into good client service.” Elisa Dahan, co-creative director and co-founder of fashion label Mackage says, “the gesture keeps the candidate top of mind.”

In this day and age, emailed thank you notes are acceptable.“I would say one out three interviews are followed by a thank you note via email,” Elisa says. “The handwritten ones are becoming more rare these days.” We’re not sure if it’s just a sign of giving up and rolling with the times, but as long as the acknowledgement comes in some form, prospective employers seem to be cool with it. Because “it’s another data point to confirm how professional and interested a candidate may or may not be,” Brannon says. “A written thank you note is a bonus, although email is the most common, and absolutely does the trick.”

“I don't expect a handwritten thank you card,” Heidi says. “It's a nice touch, but it does not help their candidacy over someone who has emailed their thank you.” (Cue the sighs of relief.)

Keep your thank you to some form of written communication.Obviously, Heather Wiese Alexander, etiquette expert and owner and founder of Bell'INVITO Stationers, is team Handwritten Thank You Note. “Even if you think the job isn’t for you, or the interview went less than desirable, always always write a sincere thank you note,” she says. Email or with a pen and paper, it’s up to you, but just don’t cross boundaries. “Phone calls are simply awkward and gifts are a complete no,” Heather adds.

Use your thank you note to remind everyone how awesome you are.Along with showing appreciation that your interviewer took the time to meet with you, a thank you message is your chance to impress upon the hiring manager (or your future boss) why you want to work there and why you’re the perfect candidate candidate. “Let them know you’re looking forward to both adding your skill set to their organization and hearing back from them,” Heather says. “Include the strengths you feel you will bring to their team or workplace.”

Make it personal.“The more personal the better,” advises Brannon. “Mentioning something we talked about, especially if it’s something that is unrelated to the role, such as a hobby or interest we share, always makes a thank you note stand out above the rest.” Also, remind your interviewer that you guys had fantastic rapport. “A reference to a part of our conversation is nice,” says Elisa. (But make sure you mention the correct moment. “It does count against them, though, if they reference something from the interview, which is incorrect or didn't happen,” Heidi warns.)

Watch your tone.Make sure you’re being sincere, genuine and gracious in your note. “If there was anything that stuck out as something you would be excited to be involved with, definitely share your enthusiasm,” says Heather. “Politely let them know you look forward to hearing back from them and are hopeful that you are the fit they are looking for. Your tone should be upbeat, humble yet confident, and overall appreciative.” Also avoid including anything that could be construed as defensive or negative in your note. “Never include an excuse for anything you might have regretted leading up to or during the interview,” she adds.

But this is not the time to start negotiating.Hold the phone, you don’t have the job yet. Wait until you actually receive the offer before haggling over the fine print, starting with inquiring about job benefits. “That’s just poor taste,” says Elisa. “Don’t mention your salary requirements, availability to start, or other restrictions or concerns you might have,” Brannon says. “A thank you note is not the place to negotiate anything or mention something that would potentially detract from your candidacy, even if it’s something as innocent as logistics.”

Keep it professional.In other words, no :) or thumbs up emojis in your card or email, even if you were totally bonding with your interviewer over your shared sorority sisterhood or mutual obsession over Taylor Swift’s “Wildest Dreams” video. Make use of spellcheck and carefully proofread for grammar. “If you aren’t confident that your note sounds right, email what you want to say to a professor, mentor or friend who has hired before for some advice,” Heather suggests. Also, make sure your sign off is 100% profesh, so stick with “Sincerely” or “Best regards” (definitely no “xoxo”) and write out your entire name.

If you’re taking the time to handwrite a card, do it right.Now, Heather has us covered on this part. She suggests writing in cursive, but if your script is more like toddler scribbles, then “use whatever handwriting is most comfortable to you and presents clearly.” Since you don’t have Microsoft Word to help you format, plan in advance to leave space in the margins and for all the text to fit on one side of the card. “It is considered poor form to write on the back of a note card,” she says. Noted. It is, however, acceptable to “lightly line” the card with pencil using a ruler to make sure your writing is level and not sloping uphill, if you’re feeling that precise.
Pro-tip: Type out your text in an email message or Word first to utilize the spell check function and formulate exactly what you want to write without wasting any cards. Also, if you make a mistake while writing, start a fresh card. Crossed out text (or gobs of Whiteout) just look sloppy and careless and send a bad subliminal message. And, finally, even if you usually use a loopy line to sign on your credit card receipts, write your name clearly and in full at the bottom. Your interviewer needs to know who’s sending the card.

Timing is also important.If you’re emailing, the “next day is good. Same day seems too eager and two days after seems like an afterthought. The next day is just right,” says Heidi — and apparently electronic thank you protocol is just like post-first-date texting. As for handwritten notes, Heather has an rule of thumb. “Sit down and send the note immediately after the interview,” she says. “My best advice is to consider that part of your interview. If you have one hour planned to be at the interview, plan an extra half hour to write your note, seal and stamp your envelope, and drop in in the mail.” Although Elisa thinks sending one within a week of the interview is totally fine, you might as well get it out of the way and that U.S. Post can just be so unpredictable.